EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Isaiah 49:1
1Listen to me, you islands. Listen carefully, you people who live far away. The Lord called me to serve him before I was born. Before my mother gave birth, he used my name to speak to me.
Isaiah 49:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
- New International Version (NIV)Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the Lord called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Listen, O coastlands, to Me, And take heed, you peoples from afar! The Lord has called Me from the womb; From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name.
Context of Isaiah 49:1
Listen to me, you islands. Listen carefully, you people who live far away. The Lord called me to serve him before I was born. Before my mother gave birth, he used my name to speak to me. 2The message that he gave me to speak was like a sharp sword. He kept me safe in his hand. He made me like a sharp arrow that he keeps safe and ready to use. 3He said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel. Because of you, I will cause people to know that I am great.’
Read all of Isaiah 49Isaiah 49:1 word by word
שִׁמְע֤וּ אִיִּים֙ אֵלַ֔י וְהַקְשִׁ֥יבוּ לְאֻמִּ֖ים מֵרָח֑וֹק יְהוָה֙ מִבֶּ֣טֶן קְרָאָ֔נִי מִמְּעֵ֥י אִמִּ֖י הִזְכִּ֥יר שְׁמִֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Listenשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- O islesאִי'îy · coastlandH339
- unto me; and hearkenקָשַׁבqâshab · to listenH7181
- ye peopleלְאֹםle'ôm le'ôm · peopleH3816
- from farרָחֹקrâchôq râchôq · distantH7350
- The Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- hath calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- me from the wombבֶּ֫טֶןbeţen · belly: wombH990
- from the bowelsמֵעֶהmê‛eh · bellyH4578
- of my motherאֵם'êm · motherH517
- hath he made mentionזָכַרzâkar · to rememberH2142
- of my nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
Cross-references for Isaiah 49:1
- Isaiah 41:1‘You islands, be quiet as you listen to me. The nations need to come and stand in front of me. So they must be brave and speak to me. We must meet together to decide who is right.
- Isaiah 42:1‘Here is my servant. I give him strength. I have chosen him. He makes me very happy. I have put my Spirit on him. He will bring justice to the nations.
- Isaiah 45:22So turn to me and I will make you safe. I say that to everybody all over the world. Turn to me, because I am God. There is nobody else like me.
- Isaiah 51:5I am ready to do what is right for them. I am ready to save them. I will judge all the nations fairly. Lands that are far away will wait for me to help them. They wait for me to come and rule them all with power.
- Isaiah 60:9People from lands across the seas are coming to find me. Their big ships are leading them. They are bringing your children from far away, as well as silver and gold. They come to give honour to the name of the Lord your God. He is Israel's Holy God. They come here because he has shown that you are great.
- Isaiah 66:19I will do a great thing among them, to show them my power. I will send some of the people who are still alive to other nations. They will go to: Tarshish, Libya, Lydia (where their soldiers shoot arrows very well), Tubal, Greece, and lands far away, where people have never heard about me and they do not know how great I am. Those people will tell other nations about my great glory.’
- Zephaniah 2:11The Lord will make them afraid. He will destroy all the false gods. People will worship him instead. Every person, in his own place, will worship God. They will also worship him in the places where the people now believe in false gods.
- Isaiah 55:3Come to me and listen carefully. If you accept my teaching, you will have real life! Then I will make a covenant with you, to be my people. My promise will continue for ever, like the promise that I made to King David.
- Isaiah 57:19will sing songs to praise me! I will give them a reason to do that. I will bring peace to all my people, those who are far away, and those who are near. Yes, I will make them completely well again.’ That is what the Lord says.
- Ephesians 2:17When Christ came, he told people God's good news about peace. He told that message to you Gentiles, who were far away from God. He also told it to us Jews, who were near to God.
- Hebrews 12:25So be careful! Always be ready to listen when God speaks. God used Moses as his servant on the earth to speak to Israel's people. When they refused to obey, God punished them. They could not get away. As for us, God speaks to us from heaven. So we will certainly not get away from God's punishment if we turn away from him.
- Isaiah 49:5The Lord chose me to be his servant, even before I was born. He chose me to bring Jacob's descendants back to himself. He chose me to bring Israel's people together to serve him. As a result, the Lord will honour me. He is the one who makes me strong. The Lord, my God, says,
- Psalms 71:5My Lord, I trust you to help me. I have trusted in you, Lord, since I was young.
- Jeremiah 1:5‘I already knew you before I made you inside your mother's body. I chose you to be special before you were born. I chose you to be my prophet, to speak my message to other nations.’
- Matthew 1:20He thought about what he should do. Then an angel came from the Lord God to see him. The angel came to Joseph while he was dreaming. The angel said, ‘Joseph, you who are from the family of King David, take Mary home as your wife. Do not be afraid to do that. The baby that is growing inside her is from the Holy Spirit.
Commentaries on Isaiah 49:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Listen, O isles, unto me "Hearken unto me, O ye distant lands" - Hitherto the subject of the prophecy has been chiefly confined to the redemption from the captivity of Babylon; with strong intimations of a more important deliverance sometimes thrown in, to the refutation of idolatry, and the demonstration of the infinite power, wisdom, and foreknowledge of God. The character and office of the Messiah was exhibited in general terms at the beginning of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Listen - This is the exordium, or introduction. According to the interpretation which refers it to the Messiah, it is to be regarded as the voice of the Redeemer calling the distant parts of the earth to give a respectful attention to the statement of his qualifications for his work, and to the assurances that his salvation would be extended to them (compare Isaiah 41:1). The Redeemer here is to be regarded as having already come in the flesh, and as…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The unbelief and rejection of the Jews. (Is. 49:1-6) Gracious promise to the Gentiles. (Is. 49:7-12) God's love to the church. (Is. 49:13-17) Its increase. (Is. 49:18-23) And deliverance. (Is. 49:24-26) Verses 1-6 The great Author of redemption shows the authority for his work. The sword of his word slays the lusts of his people, and all at enmity with them. His sharp arrows wound the conscience; but all these wounds will be healed, when the sinner prays…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1O distant peoples: The servant's work would not be limited to Israel. His ministry would reach people in faraway nations (see Isaiah 42:4, 10, 12; 51:5; 60:9; 66:19). called Me from the womb … He named Me: The promised servant's prophetic call was like Jeremiah's call (see Jeremiah 1:5; see also Galatians 1:15). It was not a general call but a very specific, personal one (see also Isaiah 43:1; 45:3–4).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-26Messiah, as the ideal Israel (Is 49:3), states the object of His mission, His want of success for a time, yet His certainty of ultimate success. 1. O isles--Messiah is here regarded as having been rejected by the Jews (Is 49:4, 5), and as now turning to the Gentiles, to whom the Father hath given Him "for a light and salvation." "Isles" mean all regions beyond sea. from the womb--(Is 44:2; Lu 1:31; Joh 10:36). from ... bowels ... mention of my name--His…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 49:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 49
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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